Normal Gamble - Maya's Story
by Tsuyu no Inochi
Summary: Souma Hiroomi - a master at discovering secrets and strategically revealing them. It's a game to Wagnaria's assistant chef and every one of his colleagues has been a pawn in his machinations, all except one. Maya Matsumoto is a worthy opponent. However, she refuses to play because the stakes are too high.
1. Chapter 1: Wagnaria's Super Sleuth

**Disclaimer:** I am working, but I don't own "Working!". The rights belong exclusively to Karino Takatsu and I am only a humble fan.

 **Author's Notes:** I have watched and rewatched this series over and over and still, I never tire of it. Karino is a genius and his dialogue - there are no words to describe. One of, THE best comedy anime and manga ever written, and nearly every character utilize.

 **Chapter 1: Wagnaria's Super Sleuth**

It was the Sunday lunch hour at Wagnaria, and the family restaurant was nearly crowded. The persistent chime of the entry doors and the continuous ring of the cash register indicated it would be about another hour or so before things slowed down. The only seating available was in the smoking section.

Servers greeted and seated guests, took orders, and trekked back and forth from the kitchen to the dining area with practiced efficiency. The cook and his assistant prepared Wagnaria's staple dishes and expedited orders so that the food was still piping hot when served to the customers.

From his place in the kitchen, Souma Hiroomi stood at the gas range staring mindlessly into a frying pan of sizzling hamburger steaks. Every now and again, his eyes would stray toward the dining area or behind him, to the employee changing rooms.

"Oi! Souma!"

The assistant chef jumped on hearing Jun Satou's (the head chefs) deadpan voice interrupting his thoughts.

"Hai, Satou-san!" Souma turned to his superior and received a whack on the forehead with a wooden spoon. "Yeow!"

"Turn the meat," Satou informed him calmly. "You're burning it."

"Hai, hai," Souma muttered tiredly before reaching for the spatula. Once both steaks were flipped, the assistant strayed back to the dining room, keeping vigil on a particular waitress.

"What's up, Souma?" Satou asked as he whisked seasonings into the gravy that would accompany the steaks. "You've got that plotting, scheming, stalking look. Who's your victim?"

"Awww… Satou-kun," Souma whined in his most petulant annoying voice. "You always think the worst. I'm totally offended."

"I do... and you should be," the head cook stated stoically. "For now, shut down that information network until we complete these orders. Focus on work."

"Hai, hai!" Souma sighed again. He followed the orders of his superior and produced the most succulent hamburger steak smothered in gravy and delivered to table 12 in the non-smoking section.

* * *

Later that evening, in the girls dressing room, Popura Taneshima, Mahiru Inami, and Maya Matsumoto were changing out of their uniforms, preparing to go home. Taneshima and Inami stood together and engaged in small talk while undressing, but Matsumoto stood alone a short distance away and undressed in silence.

Distancing herself was not a slight to the other girls, Maya just felt it was best to stay clear of her somewhat abnormal coworkers. Taneshima was a hard worker, but overly obsessed with her height. Customers often mistook her for a grade schooler. Inami was a lovely girl, but suffered from androphobia and had to restrain herself from physically punching male customers.

Usually, Maya worked the morning shift and was leaving as Taneshima and company arrived; however, Souta Takanashi, the only male waiter with pedophilish tendencies, was out for family reasons and Maya had to cover his shift. Sliding into her jacket, Maya slipped her feet into leather loafers and moved toward the door.

"Otsukaresama deshita!"

Taneshima called out, thanking Maya for the hard work. The greeting stopped the tall, slender brunette in her tracks; slowly she turned, fully facing her coworkers, bowed and responded in the same manner. With a small smile, she turned and exited the room. Heading toward the back entrance, Maya quickly glanced over the preparations for tomorrows breakfast to make sure everything was ready for the opening shift. Satisfied, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped out onto the empty parking lot.

"Like a ride, Matsumoto-san?"

Satou's voice surprised her, but Maya didn't react. She merely stopped, turned to the sound of his voice to find him leaning against the driver's side of his car. The passenger door opened and Souma got out and stood. His dark eyes assessed her, as they had throughout her entire shift before he lifted a hand and waved stupidly.

"Ah… thank you, but no," Maya bowed to both men. "Oyasumi nasai," she wished her co-workers goodnight and continued walking.

Taking a long drag off his cigarette, Satou blew smoke rings in the air, as he waited for Taneshima and Inami. "Figured she'd say no," the cook said before taking another puff.

"How'd you know?" Souma asked, sounding more than mildly curious.

"She's worked here for over two years, and each time I've offered her a ride, it's always a no," Satou stated matter of fact. "I'm surprised you have to ask," the chef continued, as he dropped the butt of his cigarette on the ground and ground it underfoot. "You seem to know enough about everyone else."

"I would, but Yamada couldn't find her fil..." Souma's voice froze. "I mean, Otoo-san or Kyouko-san have misplaced her employment file." he grinned sheepishly. "Right now, Matsumoto is a complete enigma to me."

The two stared at each other over the hood of the car; Satou's skeptical glare over Souma's look of feigned innocence. If Satou planned on commenting, it was interrupted by Taneshima and Inami's appearance.

Thanks, for waiting, Satou-kun!" the shorter girl chimed. "I had to prep Inami before we joined you."

Souma quickly opened the door to the back seat but stepped back a few paces as the two approached the car. He was giving Inami a wide berth, just in case she decided to start swinging.

"Remember, Inami," Taneshima said soothingly, ushering the taller redhead into the back seat. "Satou and Souma are girls - keep imagining them as girls."

As the two men got into the car, Satou adjusted the mirror so he could keep an eye on the girl who had cracked many ribs and walls in a state of panic when close to the male gender. Souma's hands were glued to the door latch, ready to 'tuck and roll' if the occasion called for it.

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Souma searched the street, hoping to get a glimpse of Maya walking through the neighborhood; however, there was no sign of the dark-haired young woman and this only piqued Souma's interest even more.

The backgrounds of every employee at Wagnaria was an open book to Souma. The assistant chef accessed everything from personal files, pictures, text messages even information on family members. However, not once had he attempted to obtain information on Maya Matsumoto. The reason - Maya was ordinary; nothing was exciting, nothing extraordinary, nothing odd about her. She came to work - she went home. Nothing about Maya had piqued Souma's interest until a few months ago.

The issues with Satou and Yachiyo, Takanashi and Inami, not to mention Aoi Yamada's situation had occupied the majority of Souma's sleuthing skills. With those issues now resolved, (Satou and Yachiyo were finally a couple, Takanashi had finally accepted his feelings for Inami and Yamada reunited with her family), the assistant cook was looking for more mischief to create. In his quest to turn another co-worker into a victim, he became interested in Maya on discovering there was no personnel record in the Wagnaria files. None of her coworkers knew anything about Maya outside of work. Neither Otoo-san nor Kyouko-san could recall any information from her original data. Even his accredited sources had tried and were unable to obtain any additional information on Maya Matsumoto. Was that even her real name, Souma wondered.

"You won't get the best of me, Matsumoto-san," Souma said to himself and, unknowingly, emitted a sinister chuckle. "I like a challenge."

A squeal of brakes and the car came to an abrupt stop. Souma was jerked forward, thrusting an arm out to prevent his head from hitting the dashboard, before turning to Satou in surprise.

"Out!" the cook reached across Souma and threw open the passenger side door.

"But - Satou-kun!" Souma whined.

"You're making sinister sounds, while I've got a mini Mike Tyson in the back seat waiting for the bell," Satou told him in a menacing tone. "It's taking everything Taneshima's got to keep her under control. You…" he jammed a finger in Souma's face, "Walk!" The door slammed, and the car pulled off, its tires spinning like Satou was headed for the autobahn.

With a sigh, Souma lifted his collar, zipped up his jacket against the night air and shoved his hands in his pocket. His home was a twenty-minute walk away from the restaurant, but if he jogged, he could make it in ten.

Maya was crossing the small taiko bridge leading to her residence when the sound of screeching tires had her whirling around and racing to the opposite side of the bridge to look down on the street below. She watched, partly amused and partly horrified, as Souma was dumped on the roadside and abandoned by his colleagues.

* * *

"Probably deserved it," Maya snorted as she turned and continued on her way. "Such a busybody!" she spat and look down one last time on the lone figure walking the road.

Although aware of all the relationship issues at Wagnaria and the odd behaviors of her coworkers, Maya never got involved. She knew from day one that Satou had a thing for the chief. As a newbie, she learned to ignore and never question the holes in the walls created by Inami venting her fear of a male customer that came too close. She ignored the gluttonous Manager's passion for parfaits, which had to be restocked weekly rather than monthly as the restaurant budget allowed and she ignored Otoo-san's frequent absences. Maya merely chose to ignore everything that went on at Wagnaria.

Long ago, the young woman had learned a harsh lesson in meddling in the affairs of others and had vowed never to do so again. Wagnaria consisted of employees with a host of problems, whether personal or family and within the last year, more secrets were revealed and more people exposed, and with Maya's background, that was something she could not afford.

Maya applied for the job at Wagnaria's hoping to start fresh; once hired she went out of her way to be as inconspicuous as possible; to blend in with the environment and not draw attention to herself. Outside of work, there were a few people Maya interacted with, but only two shared her secrets.

After discovering Souma's penchant for sleuthing and prying into one's private life, Maya removed her personnel file from the office. Her necessary information was exact - name, age, date-of-birth, blood type, but her history was false. Maya Matsumoto, the woman, is very different from the impressionable young teenager from three years ago.

Kyouko, the manager in charge while Otoo-san was away, never realized a file was missing. What did it matter? Kyouko-san never completed an employee assessment and could care less. An employee just needed to show up for work on your assigned shift.

Invasion of privacy was a game to Souma, Maya thought, as she approached the gate of her abode. The wood creaked, its rusty hinges protesting loudly and Maya cringed recalling the day Souma decided to set his bloodhounds on her.

It was about a month after Satou confessed to Yachiyo. He was apparently bored and began snooping in greener pastures and into the only employee at Wagnaria he had overlooked. It may only have been a minor interest at first, but his inability to obtain the information he was looking for, presented a challenge to the nosy assistant chef.

Approaching the front door, Maya withdrew her key, inserted it into the lock and turned. Before she could enter, the door was snatched open and an older woman about 2 inches shorter than Taneshima confronted Maya.

"Do you realize the time?" she snapped.

"Yes, Obaa-chan!" Maya responded tiredly. "I picked up an extra shift. Sorry for not calling."

The wrinkled face softened a bit but didn't smile. Stepping aside, the woman allowed Maya entry and shut the door behind her.

"I thought it was the bloodhound again," the old woman said. "He seems to be hot on your heels lately."

"No worries," Maya informed her, dumping her backpack on the floor and slipping out of her jacket. "I'm five moves ahead of him. Every one of his inquiries will lead nowhere. I'm sure Maya 'Normal' Matsumoto won't be exciting enough to hold his interest. Trust me; he'll give up soon enough."

Obaa-chan sighed. "Don't underestimate him, Maya-chan," the old woman implored. "He may not look like it, but he's well connected. My sources hit a brick wall trying to get information on him. Everything before his employment at Wagnaria is non-existent. Like he just dropped out of the sky."

"It'll be the same for me," Maya stated as she sat down on the sofa and propped her tired legs on the low table. "What's for dinner?" She asked, as a means to change the subject. She was tired - tired of discussing Souma Hiroomi.

"You work at a restaurant, and you couldn't take the time for dinner," Obaa squawked. "You get breaks; don't you?"

"Of course," Maya smiled, her dark eyes shimmering with merriment. "I just prefer your home cooking."

That brought a smile to the old woman's face, and she looked down fondly at the young woman who had appeared on her doorstep alone and frightened three years ago. "I'll warm something up," Obaa said and slipped out of the room.

Maya nodded and then closed her eyes, tilting her head back into the sofa cushions. It had been a long day, and she anticipated an equally long one tomorrow. The young woman had her regular AM shift at the restaurant and two classes at the local university after. Sunday was Maya's day off from Wagnaria, and she smiled, looking forward to a day to relax and be herself. A day without guile and pretense, a day to give quality time to spend…

"Okaeri, Haha-ue!"

… with her daughter, Shiori.

end


	2. Chapter 2: Matsumoto vs Souma

**Disclaimer:** I am working, but I don't own "Working!". The rights belong exclusively to Karino Takatsu, and I am only a humble fan.

 **Author's Notes:** Next chapter up and I am amazed at how many people assumed this was a one-shot. This fic will be a full story, but with limited chapters. I can't see it going past 10 or 12, to be honest. In this chapter and the next, I am recruiting Season 4 characters ( !) and including them. I think it's an exciting combination.

Thank you, thank you Shisoukengo-sama for your review. Your opinion is always welcome, and I'm glad you like the story.

Now, on to chapter two! Please read, hopefully, enjoy and leave a review.

 **Chapter 2: Matsumoto vs. Souma: Throwing Down the Gauntlet**

The restaurant door chimed, alerting the wait staff that more hungry patrons had arrived. The partitioned glass doors slid open, and Maya Matsumoto rounded the corner to greet the late lunch diners. She stopped at the entrance, holding a serving tray in front of a pristine white bibbed apron with its ruffled hem over a flared black skirt, and bowed to the customers.

"Welcome to Wagnaria." the dark-haired young woman's voice was soft and pleasant, but her tone - neutral. "Smoking or non-smoking?"

Finally, it was Saturday, thought Maya, as she led the family of four to a table in the non-smoking section. A husband, wife and their children, two sons - about the age of ten or eleven. She seated the family and provided each with individual menus. "Would you like to start with drinks?" she asked, her brown gaze behind red-framed glasses included everyone at the table. With the drink orders placed, Maya bowed. "Please take your time looking over the menu," she offered, "I will return with your beverages."

If she were a government worker, today would be Maya's Friday. At the end of today's shift, the dark-haired Wagnaria waitress would have the upcoming Sunday and Monday off. No customers or waiting tables - no weird co-workers, gluttonous managers or shady chefs upsetting the 'normalcy.' Two entire days to relax and unwind, but with her plans to devote time to Shiori, that would only be to a certain degree.

"Matsumoto-san?"

Maya looked up from her tea preparation and saw Kyouko Shirafuji, the unprolific manager coming her way. "Hai, Jichou," she answered, and straightened from the counter to turn to her superior.

"There has been a schedule change," Kyouko informed her staff. "I need you here tomorrow, and I may need you Monday, as well."

The look that crossed Maya's face was fleeting, and she was glad that Kyouko was looking down at the ledgers in her hand instead of at her. Taking a deep breath, the young woman lifted a hand and pressed the tip of a finger to the bridge of her glasses, sliding them back up her nose.

"That won't be possible, I'm afraid," Maya began in a soft yet firm voice. "I have plans to visit my elderly aunt this Sunday. It's her birthday, you see, and I have already purchased a roundtrip ticket on the Shinkansen; nonrefundable, I might add."

It wasn't a total lie, thought Maya, as she, Shiori and Obaa-chan would be taking the bullet train to Honshu to spend the day and she was sure somebody's aunt was celebrating a birthday tomorrow.

"Oh," Kyouko responded absently, looking down at her feet. After a moment, she lifted her head. "I guess that means you can't do it, huh?"

 _"Duh!"_ Maya thought in her mind but verbally responded, "No, jichou, I'm very sorry." She lowered her head, appearing contrite.

"Well, alright," Kyouko sighed. "I understand, Matsumoto-san. Since Yachiyo is off today, I guess have I'll have to wait for Takanashi to come in to fix the schedule for me," she said and moved to turn away.

"Ah... sumimasen," Maya blurted out and then nearly bit her tongue at her impulsiveness.

"Yes." Kyouko turned back, waiting languidly for the girl to continue.

Maya could have kicked herself; she usually was much better at containing her curiosity when it came to the idiocy of the Wagnaria employees; however, this one-time she could not help herself.

"Isn't it... the manager's job to fix problems with the employee schedule?" Maya asked bluntly.

The air suddenly became chilled. As Maya awaited an answer to her question, her brown eyes widened in alarm at Kyouko's frigid glare. The manager's icy blues shot glacial daggers at the young waitress as the silence stretched between them.

"I... I was just wondering," Maya was forced to respond into the void. "Well... well, let's see now..." the young woman envisioned the schedule on the breakroom wall. "You need to fill 2 eight hour shifts, one Sunday and the other - Monday, is that right?" Maya asked.

"That's right," Kyouko said, defrosting her face and eyes.

"Sunday - have the part-timers work alternate shifts from open to close and offer one of the full-timers the day off," Maya advised. "And then, you can switch that person to the 8-hour day shift on Monday. "

"Huh?" Kyouko looked confused.

Maya sighed; she refused to repeat that. Matter of fact, she was surprised at herself for offering the advice. "Never mind," the waitress said. "Waiting for Takanashi to come is probably best. Oh, tea's ready!" Maya gasped. "Excuse me, jichou."

Kyouko watched the young woman stack her tray and step back out onto the floor to serve customers. Maya was usually quiet and reserved, not interacting much with anyone on staff. She came to work, performed her job well, asked no questions and went home. Today, however, the young woman had shown some interest, as well as gave feedback, in her work environment.

"It's slowed down a bit, jichou," Jun Satou addressed his manager, referencing the lunch crowd. "Gonna take a break now."

"Hey, Satou," Kyouko turned to the chef poised in the doorway and watched him place an unlit cigarette between his lips.

"Eh?" He responded as he lit up.

"People who wear glasses are either smart or smartasses," Kyouko stated, deriving from past verbal skirmishes with Takanashi and today with Maya.

"That's a preconceived notion," said the head chef.

"So... is that a yes or a no?"

Satou gasped and inhaled too much smoke, resulting in a coughing spasm that lasted a few minutes.

 **XXXXX**

Souma had arrived at work a little before 1:00 o'clock that afternoon and the family restaurant was in full swing. Orders were lined up, but Satou never seemed to feel pressured. Every order left the kitchen in record time, keeping the wait staff on their toes.

As the customers dwindled and the dining area became less crowded, Souma was able to catch a glimpse of Maya cleaning a table at a nearby booth. So focused on her job, the assistant chef felt she was unaware of being observed while he devised a strategy.

Other than her name, age, the hours she worked and the fact that she had the best legs of all the waitresses, Souma knew nothing more. No address or cell phone number, there was nothing about her family, and it was driving him crazy. He couldn't help it; Souma was an info-whore, always had been. Any hint of mystery and he was was like a bloodhound, sniffing out the details to satisfy his curiosity. On the rare occasions where he had hit a brick wall, he had felt challenged, and it made the victory that much sweeter when Souma finally obtained the information he wanted.

While Satou finished the lunch orders, Souma began gathering ingredients for the dinner specials. Opening the door to the large commercial refrigerator, the blue-haired, assistant chef filled a crate with various fruits and vegetables in preparation for Satou's cooking and the restaurant's famous parfaits. After loading the container with the requested items, Souma picked it up and used his foot to close the door before setting the food on the counter.

Placing his hands on his hips, Souma leaned back and stretched his muscles to work out the kinks. He held it for a few seconds, then straightened, and the first thing he noticed was the victim of his current sleuthing standing a few feet away at the beverage station.

"Finally," Souma said to himself, cocking a half smile as he moved toward Maya. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to chat her up, hoping to reveal something - anything.

"Matsumoto-san!"

Kyouko's voice stopped Souma in his tracks, and he cursed inwardly at the bad timing. From where he stood, Maya was still in his line of vision, but the assistant chef could not see the manager. With Maya focused on Kyouko, she was oblivious to his whereabouts and proximity.

Souma listened as Kyouko asked Maya to work on her days off and the assistant chef found himself more intrigued by the young waitress' reaction. Briefly, just a millisecond, the look that came over Maya's face was priceless and then she resumed the mask. However, Souma would cherish that image forever; he had to cover his mouth to keep from chuckling aloud and revealing his presence.

Next, on hearing Maya's plans to travel on her days off, Souma was even more piqued and wished he had the same off days to snoop around. And then there was belittling question Maya asked of Kyouko and the long silence that followed; both had Souma doubled over, trying to contain his laughter and he started tiptoeing back into the kitchen before giving himself away. Retreating into the chef's gallery, Souma felt he was in the clear. He turned and came face-to-face with Satou standing with frying pan in hand.

"Ah... Satou-kun," Souma whispered, "I was just..."

The blond chef raised the stainless steel pan, cutting off words of protest, ready to strike. Souma crouched, covered his head with his arms and braced himself for the pain. Several seconds ticked by and nothing; the assistant chef opened his eyes and peered through his arms to see Satou placing the pan on the counter.

"Get back to work," the blond said as he reached for and withdrew a pack of cigarettes from his apron pocket before he turned and exited the room.

"Hai, hai," Souma murmured at Satou's retreating form. With his superior gone, the blue-haired chef wiped beads of sweat from his brow and exclaimed, "Whew! That was close - on both counts."

Looking back over at the beverage station, Souma could see that Maya had ended her conversation with Kyouko and was back on the floor serving customers. At some point today, before her shift ended at 5:00 pm, he planned to corner her, to catch her off-guard and anticipated seeing the same expression she wore a few minutes ago.

 **XXXXX**

Fifteen more minutes, thought Maya, as she looked up at the clock on the restaurant wall. Inwardly she smiled, reveling in the upcoming time off and looking forward to spending time with her two favorite people.

The dinner crowd has started to arrive, but that did not matter to Maya. There were a few tables to clear and clean, and she could then clock out and be on her way.

"Oi, Matsumoto-san," Takanashi, the only male waiter of the part-timers called out to her.

"Yes, Takanashi-san," Maya answered, but kept piling dirty dishes on her tray. "What's up?"

"Jichou told me you helped her with scheduling," Takanashi said with a smile.

"Oh..." Maya began, taken aback that the manager would even admit to needing advice on a task that was a daily routine of her job. "It was no big deal." She waved away his praise and moved to pick up the tray laden with dishes, but her co-worker beat her to it.

"It would have been if it was left up to the manager," Takanashi said, as he turned to carry the tray to the dishwashing area. "She took your advice, and it all worked out," he continued, as Maya walked beside him. "My sister, Nazuna, will come in tomorrow and help out on the afternoon shift. Although she's finished with her school project, she still wants to get more experience."

"She has plenty experience now," said Maya. "She's very mature and responsible; a 'normal' girl."

"N-normal?" Takanashi questioned.

"Eh?" Maya's eyes went wide as she realized her blunder. _"What is with me today?"_ she asked herself mentally. This was the second time today she had slipped up. "You... you know what I mean, Takanashi-san, a normal teenager, heh, heh."

"Oh, yeah," the male waiter responded, and they both stopped as Aoi Yamada skipped past them. Although the young girl was supposedly working, she looked as if she hadn't a care nor a job in the world. "I guess some teenagers are normal," Takanashi said, and his lip curled with distaste as he watched Yamada. "Somehow, I can't imagine her small or cute," he said more to himself than Maya.

"Arigatou, Takanashi-san," Maya said, as he set the heavy tray down for her.

"It's time for you to clock out, right?" he asked.

"Yep," Maya smiled. "It's exactly five, and I am outta here." She moved toward the employee changing rooms.

The restaurant door chimed again, and Takanashi turned in the direction of the seating area. "Enjoy your days off!" He waved as he hurried to the floor.

As Maya changed from her uniform into regular clothes, she thought about the high school boy, who had a penchant for small things. When she first met Souta Takanashi, she viewed him (same as everyone else) as a pedophile in denial. However, after working together and seeing the effort he had put in helping Inami Machiru overcome her phobia of men, she felt the male waiter had a touch of megalophobia. All in all, he seemed to be a good guy, although he had many issues.

After leaving the changing rooms, Maya bid everyone goodnight and took the back entrance. Stepping outside, she stretched and breathed in the crisp evening air. She would not have to see this place until Tuesday.

"Nice evening, isn't it, Maya-chan?"

The brunette whirled around and noticed Souma leaning on the side of the building near the trash area. Her brown eyes stretched wide, as his nearly undetectable presence took her by surprise.

"Souma-san?!" Maya gasped. "What the hell..."

It was Souma's turn to gasp. "Oh my! Such language, Maya-chan," he said, feigning shock.

"What are you doing there?" she snapped.

"Dumping trash," Souma responded calmly. "Like you, I was getting a breath of fresh air when I saw you come out."

"Well... well, make your presence known next time," Maya argued. "Seeing you there suddenly like that is creepy."

"I'm a creepy type of guy; at least that's what I'm told," the blue-haired chef said wittingly.

"What's even more creepy is you sound proud of that," Maya put herself out there again. Why oh why was she so loosed-lipped today? "Whatever," the dark-haired young woman sighed and hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder. She had had enough of Hiroomi Souma for one day. Everywhere she went today, Maya had felt his eyes on her, and his persistent sleuthing was getting increasingly annoying. "Otsukaresama deshita!" she said and bowed, hoping to make her escape.

"You must have a lot of secrets, Maya-chan!"

Maya froze midstride; she took a moment to clamp down the fear that arose at his words and then to squash the anger rearing its ugly head. She needed to appear calm; Souma was applying the pressure, and she had to resist taking the bait.

"Whatever so-called secrets I have or rather what you think I have, is none of your concern," Maya said in even tones. "I understand that's how you get your kicks, Souma-san, but please remove me from your friend's list. And also, please refrain from using my first name, when I have not given you the privilege."

"Ah... my lady has entitlement issues," Souma said as he approached her slowly. "That snotty tone and haughtiness; your use of wide range vocabulary indicate good breeding, which is all reminiscent of someone who comes from money. Now, I'm even more intrigued," he went on to say. "Why are you working as a waitress, Maya?"

"Tsch," Maya turned to face him head-on. "I should be asking you why someone of your skills in electronic communications wants to work as a chef? That top-of-line digital camera you carry around, the wiretapping equipment you keep nearby, and I wouldn't be surprised to discover that you're one hell of a hacker."

Souma kept his face neutral, but it took some effort. No one, in the past five years had come this close to his secrets and he wasn't about to give this woman before him the privilege of knowing she had hit very, very close to home.

"Stop digging," Maya said suddenly. "Some things are best left alone."

"I can't," Souma said softly, looking deep into her brown eyes through the lens of her glasses. Even with the threat of his own exposure, he could not back down from this challenge. And that's what this was - Maya had turned the tables (or so she thought) and believed they could reach a happy medium. You keep my secrets, and I'll keep yours, but Souma had never operated that way. "I've waited all day to get a word with you, hoping I would get the opportunity to get a glimpse of that _'bitch, please'_ look you gave our manager today, but I ended up with something even better."

"Oh, and what is that?" Mya sneered, no longer feeling the need to keep up the facade. He was too close, invading her personal space, but she refused to back away.

"A worthy opponent in this game of probability," he responded. "Let's see which one of us gets the goods on the other first. Round one to you, Maya-chan."

Maya's eyes narrowed, as she stared into his intense, masochist blues. She had played her hand too early, and he knew that. The information she received on Hiroomi Souma was nowhere near complete. She had only thrown snippets of gathered information at him in her fury, but at least now Maya knew it was accurate.

"You'll get more than that if you don't back off," Maya said menacingly, thinking of Shiori and how Souma's game could affect her daughter.

Souma's eyes glittered, and he felt a combination of fear and excitement, giving him an adrenaline rush. However, before he could form a comeback, he heard the door to the restaurant open and the manager calling his name.

"Souma! Sou - oh, there you are," Kyouko said in a tired voice. "What are you doing? How long does it take to dump the trash?"

"Gomen," the assistant chef, turned to his superior and smiled. "I saw Matsumoto-san leaving and thought to remind her of the employee assessments coming up soon. You know the ones where you review and update the original files from the hire date."

"Oh yeah," Kyouko appeared to look off in space somewhere. Even though she seemed to recall, she apparently didn't. "How did you know about it, Souma?" the manager asked.

"Taneshima mentioned it."

"Oh," Kyouko replied absently again. "Okay, get your butt in here, before Satou comes to get you." She nodded to Mya and then went back inside.

Turning back to Maya, Souma wore a 'pleased-as-punch' smile. "Sorry, Maya-chan, I guess I don't know how to back off," he said, sounding anything but apologetic.

"That's okay," the brunette responded readily and appeared unfazed at him putting her on the spot. "Some people like to do things the hard way, and I can tell you're a special case. Fine," she continued with a sigh, "I'll concede. Round two to you, Sou-ma-san," she accentuated. With that said, she turned abruptly and left him standing alone in the parking lot.

"I won, but why does it feel like I lost?" Souma wondered before heading back inside Wagnaria to face the dinner crowd and Satou's cast iron skillet.

 **XXXXX**

About three blocks away from the restaurant, Maya stopped, looked around and then pulled a cell phone her bag. She flipped it open and dialed the second number on her minuscule call list. The phone rang several times and then went to voicemail.

 _ **"Hi, this is Kisaki Kondou. If you're part of the problem, hang up now and lose my number. If you're part of the solution or offering money with no strings attached, leave a message."**_

In spite of the urgency, Maya couldn't help but smile. That was indeed Kisaki's style, and yet she felt terrible for calling on a friend she hadn't spoken to in awhile now that she needed a favor.

"Hello, Kisaki-chan!" Maya started her message. "I know it's been awhile, Gomen nasai. I'm desperately in need your help. Headed to class now, but should be home around nine tonight. Give me a call, please, it's very important."

Hanging up the phone, Mya returned it to her bag and resumed her walk to the university as she thought her friend and confidant, Kisaki Kondou; the sadistic blond with a high IQ working as a waitress at the Wagnaria restaurant in Maya's hometown.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3: Counterattack

**Disclaimer:** I am working, but I don't own "Working!". The rights belong exclusively to Karino Takatsu, and I am only a humble fan.

 **Author's Notes:** New chapter up and thanks for those who have read. I reiterate, this fic will be a full length story, but with limited chapters, maybe between 10 or 12. Once again characters from Season 4 appear. I think it's an exciting combination.

Thank you, thank you Shisoukengo-sama for your review. You know my pension for strong female leads, but I'm glad you feel it was a good transition. And the eyeglasses thing, is duly noted (LOL).

Now, on to chapter three! Please read, hopefully, enjoy and leave a review.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Counterattack**

 _Sunday_

From the moment they entered the amusement park, Maya had traveled from Smallville, Pirates Cove to the Knights Realm and Shiori was still reeved to go. Her daughter did not want to miss any of the theme park attractions, and Maya felt guilty that it had been a while since their last outing.

Maya dressed casually; she wore a black and white striped baseball jersey shirt teamed with black cropped jeans with white, low top converse sneakers. The Wagnaria waitress wore a baseball cap that matched the jersey with her long hair protruding from the back in a thick ponytail. No one at work would recognize her in this get-up.

"Ooh, ooh, haha-ue!" Shiori pointed to the Block Topia attraction. The little girl wore a pretty pink t-shirt, white shorts, and white sneakers. "NINJA IKU!" the child shouted, wanting to see the live show.

"Alright, alright," Maya laughed, as she was pulled along to the ticket booth. "Aww... the next show is not for another two hours," she informed her child. "Why don't we take a rest and get a bite to eat before the show, hmm?"

"Okay!" Shiori sang.

As the two stood in line to purchase tickets, Maya thought of Obaa-san, who had stayed behind at the hotel. The old woman had complained that her knees were troubling her and decided that traipsing around an amusement park would only aggravate her condition. "Yeah, right," Maya murmured, knowing she'd been duped. "Those bad knees have probably hit every store in the nearby shopping mall."

"What, haha-ue?"

"Nothing... it's nothing, Shiori-chan," Maya smiled. "Mommy's just thinking out loud."

Finally, with tickets in hand, Maya steered Shiori to a small family restaurant on the premises; the place was twice the size of Wagnaria, and it was crowded. However, they were seated almost immediately; the service was fast-paced, but the staff wasn't perturbed at all, and after placing their order, their food arrived in record time.

"How is your Omurice, Shiori; is it good?" she asked her daughter.

"Not like haha-ue's chief," the little girl responded, informing Maya the dish was not as good as what she brought home from work.

"Chef," Maya corrected. _"It's too bad I can't tell Satou-san how much my daughter enjoys his cooking,"_ Maya thought. "Ah... I see," she said aloud. "I'll ask our 'chef' to make one for you when I go back to work, okay?" Shiori smiled, nodding happily with a mouthful of rice and Maya grabbed a napkin to wipe the excess from her lips.

In four months, Shiori would be three years old. Watching her daughter, Maya was amazed at how many traits the child had picked up from a father she had never seen. Shiori was just as fun-loving as Kojiro had been, whereas Maya had always been somewhat of a loner. In looks, it was hard to say who their daughter took after, as both parents shared the same dark hair and eyes as their child. Often, neighbors had mistaken Maya and Kojiro for siblings, but the two were longtime friends whose feelings grew into something more by the time they had reached their early teens.

 _"Stop it,"_ Maya chided herself, as tears started to form and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. There was no sense in dwelling on the past; Kojiro was dead, and there was nothing she could do to bring him back. Shiori was Maya's responsibility; she wanted to keep their child happy and, above all, safe and was determined to make that happen, which is the reason she had to stop Souma's prying.

Speaking of the devil, Maya smirked as she watched her child clean her plate and then start on the child-size desert. Just one phone call to Kisaki Kondou and she had managed to foil the blue-haired chef's plans. Sakaki had recreated an employee file for Maya; all fabrication, of course, to be faxed the day Maya returned to work. With a smile, she recalled her conversation with Kisaki the night before...

 _"No worries, Maya-chan," Kisaki said. "I'll make sure Kenichirou handles your paperwork." The woman's voice was a bit husky from smoking cigarettes, and she had a lazy drawl that fit her physical personality. However, Kisaki was an academic genius with a mindblowing high IQ; she excelled at scheming, plotting and taking advantage of any situation. "This Souma sounds like a handful; from what you've told me, he doesn't seem to have a particular goal. It sounds like his hustle is just for shits and giggles," Kisaki said gruffly._

 _"Tell me about it," Maya scoffed. "I haven't gathered all his information yet; it's all kinda sketchy, like a puzzle," she said thoughtfully. "Well... enough about that info seeking jerk. I appreciate all your help, Kisaki and, oh... when did manager Sakaki-san become Kenichirou?"_

 _"He's become quite attached to Hime; he takes care of her for me sometimes, even allows me to bring her to work. And in return, I feed his cats when he's away on business," Kisaki informed Maya. "It's kinda hard to remain formal with that kind of relationship."_

 _"Hmmm, if you say so," Maya smiled, and decide to let the matter drop, at least for now. "Let's arrange to meet on my next days off; to catch up on old times," the brunette requested of her friend. "Shiori and Hime can also get reacquainted. Thanks for the picture; Hime is adorable and looks so much like you," Maya told Kisaki._

 _"Eh... she's got a good head on her shoulders," the blonde brushed off the compliment. "Now, little Shiori is your likeness; there's no denying that one."_

 _"Wouldn't want to," Maya preened. She and Kisaki had met in prenatal classes. The two had also worked together briefly at Wagnaria's up north before Maya had relocated._

 _"Then let's do this... let's plan a get-together, but I'm warning you..." the blonde's voice dropped an octave. "... I plan to pump you for more information on this Souma guy."_

 _"Right back at you," Maya laughed. "I expect to hear all about the child/cat sitting relationship between you and 'manager' Sakaki."_

 _"You'll be disappointed," Kisaki grunted._

 _"I'll be the judge of that."_

The clatter of plates pulled Maya from her musings and looked up to see the waitress collecting their dishes. She leaned back, allowing the woman better access to the table and realized it felt good being served instead of being the one serving and gave a brief thought of her co-workers back at the restaurant. She thought about Souma, recalling his 'cat caught the canary' look and smirked thinking how she had outmaneuvered him again.

"Is there anything else?" the young waitress smiled.

"No, thank you," Maya said, "Just the check if you please."

"Time to go, haha-ue?" Shiori asked, climbing down from the seat.

"It sure is," Maya leaned forward to clean the child's face and hands, keeping her still until the waitress charged her card. "Ready?" she asked Shiori, as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Ready! NINJA-IKU!"

XXXXX

 _Wagnaria Family Restaurant (southern location)_

Souma felt everyone's eyes on him, but he ignored them. Instead, he focused on food prep and assisting Satou with late lunch orders, as well as keeping vigil on his cell phone, awaiting news from his informant.

"Satou-kun, is Souma-san okay?" Yachiyo asked as the two stood talking at the pick-up window. "He seems a little out of it today."

"Who knows," the blond chef answered. "He's been like that all morning; the nosy network must be shut down, and he lacks stimulation," he sniffed. "Well, as long as he gets the orders right."

"Now, Satou-kun," Yachiyo looked to her beloved, patting him lightly on the arm. "Something could be wrong; have you asked him?"

"No," his answer was blunt, but Satou saw the look his intended was giving him and held up a hand in mock defense. "Fine, Yachiyo-chan," the chef sighed. "I'll talk to him during the break."

"Aww... that's my kind, considerate Satou-kun," Yachiyo gushed and reached over to playfully pinched her husband-to-be's cheek.

"Stop that," Satou hissed, trying to sound firm, but failed miserably, as his face flamed. "I asked you not to do that at work."

"Sorry, Satou," Yachiyo said, but did not sound contrite. "I couldn't help it."

With a grunt, the head chef stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned back to his station, as his wife-to-be headed back to the serving area. He and Yachiyo had little over a month left working together before she transferred to a new job.

Satou entered the kitchen, walked over to the order station and read the request placed by Inami. 'Yakitori-Negima,' it read, and the head chef walked over to ignite one of the burners when a subdued Souma joined him at the stove.

The two chefs worked in silence until it became unbearable for Satou and he turned abruptly to Souma and asked, "Okay - so what's going on with you today?"

"Huh?" the blue-haired chef looked up, surprised. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Is that an earpiece?" Satou asked, noticing and pointing to the device protruding from Souma's ear.

"What..., this?"

"Yeah..., that."

"Oh... just following the baseball game; the Tigers are playing today," Souma explained, with his goofy grin back in place. "It's okay, right? It hasn't interfered with my work."

Satou certainly couldn't dispute that. Souma was seemingly a bit off today, but his orders were accurate and delivery, prompt. "Maybe he should listen to the game every day," Satou thought to himself. If listening to baseball kept him focused on work instead of prying into others personal life, Satou was all for it. However, his preoccupation had worried the other staff as they had assumed, Yachiyo included, that the assistant chef had some issue.

"No... it's fine." Satou, surprisingly, felt relieved. To have Soma acting oddly out of character was just as eerie as his typical day to day strangeness.

"Thanks, Satou-kun!" Souma grinned, as his superior grimaced and shifted a few paces away from his assistant and that's when the cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," the assistant chef, removed his phone from his pocket, checked the number and then turned to Satou. "A call from family," he said holding up the device. "A minute?"

"Sure, go ahead, I'll finish your order," Satou said. _"Family?"_ he wondered. Souma had never mentioned family before.

Soma nodded thanks and then proceeded to the back entrance of the restaurant. Once outside, he picked up the connection and barked, "Whatta ya got?"

"Nothin'," the voice on the other end of the phone said.

"What does that mean?" Souma demanded.

"It means nothin'" the voice reiterated. "I've been at the station since 6 o'clock this morning. There were no reservations for a Maya Matsumoto scheduled at all today, and I haven't seen one chick that fully fits the description of the picture you sent."

"Hmmm," Souma murmured, his mind racing. "Maybe her ticket was purchased by someone else," he muttered, talking more to himself than the person on the other line.

"Yeah, I thought about that too," the voice said. "If that's the case, then that means the woman didn't travel alone, and the purchaser picked up the tickets."

Was it possible that Maya had a boyfriend or was dating? Souma thought it over and then dismissed the possibility; he had never gotten that vibe from her. Women in relationships rattled easily, he found; Todoroki and Inami were a prime example, but not Maya. Usually calm and composed, outbursts were rare for the young woman.

"And you couldn't find any woman fitting her description at all at the station?" Souma inquired of his contact.

"I've seen plenty dark-haired, dark-eyed beauties today, but none with thick-rimmed red glasses and no Matsumoto," the voice snapped. "Look, Hiroomi, I'm leaving; its way past noon and whatever this Maya is doing, she's having fun somewhere, enjoying her day off while 'I'...," he emphasized, "... am standing around looking like a train station stalker."

"Gomen, Tanuma," Souma apologized to one of his few friends, who until a few years ago, shared the same fetish for information by any means necessary. Both were members of the same journalism club back in high school; Tanuma was the only one who had stuck by Souma during his troubled senior year and when his life had spiraled out of control. "You know how I get with an itch I can't scratch," he smirked.

"Oh boy, don't I?" Tanuma stated sarcastically. He knew how Hiroomi felt because the two were similar. Both enjoyed the chase and the adrenalin rush of obtaining the unobtainable. "Well, we struck out; let's call it a day, I'm going home now and enjoy my own day off."

"You struck out; I've got bases loaded, but I'm still a bat," Souma scoffed. "Thanks, Tanuma. I owe you, later!" He disconnected.

After hanging up the phone, Souma leaned back against the wall and inhaled. Maya had thwarted him yet again, but that only egged him on; actually, it made the game much more exciting and challenging. "What is it Matsumoto-san?" he murmured, as he turned to head back into the restaurant. "What are you hiding?"

XXXXX

 _Monday -_

 _Wagnaria Family Restaurant (northern location)_

Leaning back in her chair in the break room, Kisaki took a long drag from her cigarette and exhaled, blowing smoke rings in the air. The lunch crowd was slowing down and, since Hime was with her grandmother today, Kisaki had made a minor contribution to her shift.

"Kisaki!"

Hanna Miyakoshi, Wagnaria's strict floor chief, appeared in the doorway, hands on hips.

"Oi, Miyakoshi," Kisaki responded lazily, plucking ash from her cigarette into the glass tray.

"What are you doing?" The teen's brown eyes flashed. "We still have customers," she said and jerked her head in the direction of the dining area, causing her short-tousled, light brown hair to bounce.

"I'm on break," the blonde answered smoothly.

"You're always on break," Miyakoshi snapped. "There are tables to clear in the non-smoking section."

"Where's Muranushi?"

"Waiting tables!"

"Kamakura?"

"The same!" Miyakoshi snapped. "Stop worrying about others and do your job."

"Okay," Kisaki said and leaned forward to snub out her cigarette. From the corner of her eye, she saw Miyakoshi smile, triumphant that she had finally gotten her blonde coworker to succumb. As Kisaki turned in her seat, the teenager would soon learn she had not quite succeeded.

"If you can tell me the origins of the tempura dish listed on the specials menu, then I'll head right over to the smoking section," Kisaki informed the floor chief.

"Huh?" Miyakoshi looked surprised. "Origins?"

Kisaki looked to the heavens. "Origin means where something comes from," the blonde said it slowly so the teen could comprehend. Miyakoshi was an excellent floor chief; diligent and hardworking, but academically and otherwise, more than a bit dense.

"Ah-ha!" Miyakoshi's face lit up. Kisaki made a habit of asking her questions she could never answer, but not this time. "The kitchen!" the teen announced proudly.

"Ehhhhhh," Kisaki made the wrong answer buzzer sound, turned back around in her seat and looked out the window.

"Kisaaaaki!" Miyakoshi cried and stamped her foot, as their English speaking coworker, Kouki Saiki, entered the break room.

"Oi, Saiki," Kisaki looked over at the half Japanese college student and asked him, in English, the same question presented to Miyakoshi a moment ago.

"Oh, that's easy," Saiki answered in English (his native language) also since his Japanese was rusty. "Tempura originated from Portugal."

"Right answer!" Kisaki, still speaking in English, congratulated her coworker. "And now, the prize," the blonde gave her rendition of a game show host presentation. "Miyakoshi here wants you to go clean tables in the non-smoking section."

"Ah... okay!" Saiki gave a thumbs up and moved into the dining area.

Miyakoshi's head had moved back and forth, between Kisaki and Saiki's conversation, as if she were watching a tennis match. She did not understand one word of English, outside of 'hello,' and even that was a stretch. After Saiki left the break room, Miyakoshi turned to Kisaki. "You made him go clean the tables, didn't you?" she asked.

"I didn't make him do anything," Kisaki said and blinked innocently. "He simply answered the question correctly, so..." the blonde shrugged and left the rest hanging.

"Being too smart is a curse, Kisaki?" Miyakoshi huffed, holding a serving tray in front of her like a shield.

"Then slow-wit must be euphoric," the blonde retorted, not missing a beat. But whatever gratification Kisaki may have felt at the snappy comeback was squashed upon seeing the teens blank look. The blonde crossed her legs and sighed. "Look at it like this, Miyakoshi, it's a win, win situation," she informed her floor chief. "Thanks to Saiki's willingness, your tables get cleaned, and I can continue my break. Who loses?"

Miyakoshi frown, but appeared to consider and then suddenly - "Waah!" the teen floor chief started bawling. "No one!" she wailed and then turned and ran to the back of the restaurant, brushing past the manager in her haste. "No fair, Kasaki!"

"Are you harassing Miyakoshi again?" Kenichirou Sakaki, Wagnaria's manager, asked his staff.

"What reason would I have?" the blonde sniffed, tossed her head and then muttered, "Other than the obvious."

Sakaki smiled, knowing Kisaki feigned offense. "You're much too hard on us lesser mortals," he told her before reaching into his shirt pocket to remove an employee assessment. "Here," he said, placing the sheet down on the table in front of her. "Look it over and make sure it's okay with Maya-chan. After its approved, I'll fax it over to Wagnaria south," he informed Kisaki and then moved to return to his office.

"On behalf of Maya, thanks, Kenichirou," she said, calling him by his first name since they were alone. "You know what Maya's been through the past couple of years. She and Shiori had finally found a place to settle down, but this Souma guy may be a problem."

"Souma... Souma," Sasaki murmured, his brow creased in thought. "That name sounds familiar, but I can't place it at the moment. Anyway," he paused and turned to Kisaki, placing a gentle hand on her head. "We'll just do what we can for Maya right now. She's a tough girl, and she's smart; there's no way she'll let this guy get the best of her."

"Of course, you're right," Kisaki said softly. Her normally stoic hazel eyes shimmered as she looked up at her manager/babysitter. "Thanks, again, Sakaki-jichou, and that's from me this time."

He merely smiled and then rubbed her head as if she were one of his cats before turning to in the opposite direction of Miyakoshi's cries.

XXXXX

The train pulled into the station and stopped, precisely at the appointed time, the doors opened, and passengers spilled out onto the platform. It was 6:17 pm and the majority traveling were leaving work; some were headed home while others to local bars, restaurants or some other form of entertainment.

Obaa, holding tight to Shiori's hand, strolled down the platform, headed for the exit gates. Behind them, Maya struggled under the weight of multiple shopping bags, a medium-sized suitcase, and a backpack. The young woman muttering expletives under her breath at the older woman who had, indeed, gone shopping while she and Shiori were at the amusement park.

"You okay, Maya-chan?" Obaa asked, looking back at the girl dressed in the boyish baseball get-up. Maya still wore the matching cap to the jersey, but the ponytail was tucked entirely under it. Whenever the trio traveled, the young woman would dress in casual men's clothes, until they reached their destination.

"Who told you to buy all this crap?" Maya managed, sounding winded.

"There were a lot of sales, dear," Obaa responded as if that explained buying an overabundance of stuff. "Bu... but, that's not all for me," the older woman hastily stuttered, as Maya looked up, her dark eyes furious. "I bought gifts for little Shiori and you as well."

"That ain't gonna cut it!" Maya's dialect changed when she was angry. "You're not gettin' away wit..."

"For me?" Shiori's delight interrupted her mother's tirade. The child's eyes were all sparkly at the prospect of receiving a new toy.

"Why yes, Shiori-chan," Obaa said, taking advantage of the situation. The old woman knew that the happy child would calm the angry mother down. "It's a surprise, so we'll have to wait until we get home, okay?"

"'Kay!" the child pipped in, pulling Obaa along, now anxious to get home and missed the smug look the old woman shot her mother's way.

Mya muttered more expletives and then barked, "You could at least carry something."

"You know my knees are bad," Obaa said and began rubbing the area for effect.

 _"Bad knees my ass,"_ Maya thought, still struggling with luggage and packages. She was no fool; the former Judo instructor was just as spry as a twenty-year-old. "We're taking a taxi," she announced.

"Fine, dear!" Obaa said as they exited the train station. "But that's going to be a bit costly."

"I do not...," Maya emphasized, "... want to hear that from you."

The entire trip had been costly; the train tickets, amusement park and hotel fees, Obaa's shopping binge, but it was money well spent. She and Shiori had quality time together, and Obaa had a nice rest. For all her moaning and complaining, Maya was satisfied that everyone had had a good time.

However, now it was back to the grind. Tomorrow, Maya had to return to work to replenish her bank account. While on the train, she had received a text from Kisaki with an attachment of the assessment form for her to review. After making a few changes, Maya had returned the text and then relaxed back in her seat and whispered, "Round two to Matsumoto!"

XXXXX

"Pssst, Yamada," Souma stood by the office door of Wagnaria south, serving as the lookout. "Find anything yet?"

"No!" Aoi Yamada popped out from the inner office. "No file on Matsumoto Maya in the file cabinet."

 _"Dammit!"_ Souma inwardly swore as he bit his thumb in contemplation. On the one hand, Maya would have to admit defeat if she could not produce information for the assessment. On the other hand, the blue-haired chef was no closer to divulging the woman's secrets.

"Souma-san?" His young accomplice tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "Why is Yamada investigating Matsumoto-san? Is it another workplace romance, like Todoroki-san and Satou-san? Does she have a shady past?" The young girl's excitement grew as her imagination went wild.

"No, no," Souma said, trying to calm the child. "But employee assessments are due. I did forewarn her, but... oh well, maybe she'll bring something in with her tomorrow," he said, although he would have liked to get a glimpse of her file beforehand. After their sparring of words the other day, Souma was peeved and also a bit worried, that Maya had some insight into his background.

"Is that all?" the dark blue-eyed youngster asked. "Yamada is bored," the girl spoke of herself in the third person. "It's been too quiet Souma-san. Yamada needs excitement -new targets," the girl said with a gleam in her eye.

Looking down on the girl, Souma saw a future reporter in the works. For her age, Yamada was cunning, eerily sharp and annoyingly persistent. However, he did not want her focusing too much on Matsumoto.

"And we will," Souma said to Yamada. "Remember, Todoroki's leaving and we'll have a new hire soon. Besides, there's no excitement with Matsumoto; she's as 'normal' as you can get."

"I guess you're right," the girl sighed. "Yamada thought that because Matsumoto-san wears fake glasses, we might be onto something, but I guess she's just trying to look smart, like Takanashi-san."

"Fake glasses?" Souma turned to the girl. "How do you know?" he asked.

"She left them on the sink in the restroom one day, and Yamada tried them on," the girl said. "They're basic reading glasses like Kirio wears when he's pretending to study."

"Is that so," Souma said rubbing his chin.

"Time to close shop, everyone!" Popura Taneshima, Wagnaria's future floor chief, called out to the crew, distracting Yamada and had her running to the front to assist with closing.

Souma digested the new information, as he headed into the kitchen to help Satou with cleaning. The glasses thing could turn into something or nothing at all, but it had the assistant chef's mind racing.

"Oi... stop daydreaming and get to work," Satou informed Souma. "Yachiyo and I are having dinner with our parents tonight, and I don't wanna be late."

"Hai, hai!" Souma saluted and dove right into cleaning the burners, anticipating round two with Maya Matsumoto tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4: Taking the L

**Disclaimer:** I am working, but I don't own "Working!". The rights belong exclusively to Karino Takatsu, and I am only a humble fan.

 **Author's Notes:** Finally posting a new chapter and 'Gomen nasai' for the prolonged wait.

Thank you, thank you **Shisoukengo-sama** the review. Yes, it's quite a battle of wits in this story, yet it's so fun to write. Out of all the stories I'm writing, this one I find the easiest. And yes, Tanuma is an interesting character and is the voice of reason for Souma; God knows he needs it.

I want to thank, **Toon Youngster, lonelycrystalizine** and **smlash** for adding this fic to their favorites. Arigatou, mina-san!

Now, on to chapter four! Please read, hopefully, enjoy and leave a review.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Taking the L**

Maya arrived at Wagnaria at 6:30 am, nearly half an hour before her scheduled shift. The manager, Kyoko Shirafuji, had just opened the doors to the restaurant as the waitress walked across the parking lot.

"Ohayou!" Maya cheerfully greeted her manager, the morning chef, and another AM waitress that arrived early. She entered the locker room and changed into her uniform, all the while, humming a tune. It was a beautiful morning; the air was crisp, and a brisk walk to work left her feeling refreshed. Not to mention the two days she had off.

On Sunday, Maya, Shiori, and Obaa-chan had traveled to the amusement park, stayed overnight and returned Monday evening. Once home, Maya did nothing but lounge around, watch an episode of a TV drama before she and her daughter turned in early. However, another reason for Maya's good mood, she had, once again, thwarted Wagnaria's supersleuth, Hiroomi Souma.

Kyouko had confirmed she had received the employee assessment from Wagnaria North, which gave a valid account of Maya's work status although nearly all else was a fabrication. Her age was correct, but not her date of birth; also, Matsumoto was Maya's mother's maiden name; she had ceased using her father's name to help cover her tracks.

"You're from Asahikawa," Kyouko said, reading over the information. "I have friends there," she informed the young waitress.

"Oh," Maya responded, unconcerned that they might know the same people. "College friends?" she inquired, to make conversation.

"No," Kyouko answered absently, still going over the assessment, and then added, "Gang members."

Maya's jaw dropped, and she gawked at her superior. Now it all made sense - Kyouko's laid back manner, nothing-bothers-me, I'm-untouchable attitude; it was a typical delinquent Yankee trait, and Maya was surprised she had not picked up on it before. She would have to be extremely careful around Kyouko in the future; it seems the two traveled in similar circles. Except for Souma, she hadn't focused too much on her other coworkers; it seems that was a mistake.

"An assessment wasn't necessary," Kyouko said in her usual monotone, as Maya watched the woman place the paperwork in the office employee file drawer. "I already know you're a good worker, Matsumoto, but Taneshima says its protocol, and we have to follow the rules," the manager said, leaving the waitress, once again, dumbfounded that a high schooler was running this restaurant.

Popura Taneshima was a sweet 17-year-old, who had the appearance of a grade schooler; she had a bubbly personality and was the new floor chief in training for the evening shift. The teenager was replacing Yachiyo Todoroki, the current floor manager, who would be leaving soon to venture out seeking other types of work, as well as marrying Jun Satou, the restaurants head chef.

"Thank you, Jichou," Maya beamed at the unexpected praise from Kyouko. It was rare that the woman complimented any of her staff, and now she understood why, but it sounded sincere, and Maya was surprised at herself for feeling pleased with the flattery. With a bow, the waitress left the office and headed out to greet the breakfast patrons.

The next two hours were busy; by 8:30, the pace had slowed, with only a few stragglers who worked later shifts in the morning. The lunch crowd was bustling, with many customers coming in large groups. Was every boss in the vicinity treating their staff to lunch today or something, Maya wondered as she had just taken orders from a group of ten government workers.

"Matsumoto-san!"

After placing her order tickets on the carousel, Maya turned to greet her coworker, Reina Nakano, a married, mother of two. Reina's husband was working abroad, and the woman worked part-time here at the restaurant, three days a week on the day shift, while her boys were in school, to help make ends meet.

"Yes, Nakano-sempai."

"I'll be leaving soon. Junji has a doctors appointment later this afternoon," Reina informed Maya. "You might want to take your break now before I have to leave."

"Oh... thanks for the heads up, Reina-sempai, as soon as I finish the order for table twelve, I'll take you up on that."

Thirty minutes later, Maya sat in the breakroom, enjoying a bubble tea, as she stared out of the window. Right now, was the perfect time to study for her Environmental Sciences class this evening, but no one here knew she was attending university, and Maya wanted to keep it that way.

The last thing she needed was Souma discovering anything about her outside of the workplace. The assistant chef was persistent, but so far, Maya had managed to stay two steps ahead of him. Even today, by procuring the assessment she needed to continue working, she had accomplished minimizing his threat, and hopefully, that would keep him quiet, if just for a little while.

"Obaa-chan was worried for nothing," Maya thought, as she smirked and then took a sip of her tea. "You're nowhere near the supersleuth you believe you are, Hiroomi Souma."

 _XXXXX_

"Achoo! Achoo!" the person in question sneezed twice in a row. "Someone's talking about me," he sniffled, left the kitchen to go into the living room of his small apartment and grabbed a box of tissues off the bookshelf.

"And based on the number of sneezes, they're not saying anything good," Tanuma Itou said, as he sat on a bar stool at the counter. "But that's no surprise."

Souma returned to the kitchen, turned to his old friend and only confidante, and shot him a hostile glare. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Not just funny, it's also true," Tanuma responded, unconcerned by Souma's offended expression. "What's with that look?" the taller of the two raised a brow. "Don't forget, I know you; you're a pachyderm, and too thick skinned to have hurt feelings."

"That's brutally honest," Souma responded huffily but dropped the facade, as he closed the lid on a bento and slid it across the kitchen counter. Tanuma worked a few blocks away at a construction company and to make up for him stalking the train station the other day in search of Maya; Souma offered his friend a weeks worth of prepared lunches.

"Thanks, man," Tanuma smiled as he caught a whiff of the miso soup before Souma closed the lid. "Heard any word on that Maya chick?" asked, as he stuffed the container into his knapsack.

"No, but she's on the schedule today," Souma stated. "She works the morning shift, and leaves at 3 o'clock; that's usually the time I arrive, and I work until close."

"So... she's leaving as your coming; that doesn't leave a lot of time for chitchat."

"Right," Souma answered with a smirk. "But, I'm going in an hour early today so we can..." the assistant chef paused for effect, "... chitchat."

"Harass is probably closer to the truth," Tanuma said and frowned, knowing first hand how irritating Souma could be when he set his sights on something or someone. "You're really into this case and this girl. From what you've told me, she sounds normal; maybe you should respect her privacy."

"She's 'too' normal," Souma said and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Or, at least she appears that way. It seems she has no friends; no customer has come by the restaurant and said, 'oh... there's Maya, I had no idea she worked here.' Everything seems so - routine, for the want of a better word. Twice, I've tried to follow her home, only to find out later that the buildings that I saw her enter, she didn't live at either of them."

"Maybe she was visiting those 'non-existent' friends," Tanuma said sarcastically and watched Souma scowl. "Come on, man, she probably knew you were following her and gave you the slip. If you ask me, she sounds like a pro."

"Exactly!" Souma said and snapped his finger in his excitement. "The day before Maya was scheduled to go to the station, she and I had a confrontation outside of Wagnaria. She called me out!"

"What do you mean, she called you out?" All Tanuma's sarcasm was gone, as he sat up, alert.

"I provoked her by asking why someone with her smarts would settle for being a waitress, and she came back at me asking why someone with my skills in electronics would settle for being a chef."

"She said that?"

"Oh yeah, and it gets better; she called me a hacker, and then she threatened me," Souma said with a wide grin. "This normal young woman tells me to back off, with all the smoothness of a yakuza boss; I think she meant to do me bodily harm."

"It would serve you right," Tanuma muttered, "But, I'm... I'm astonished," shrugged, unsure what to think, but was starting to find this Maya equally intriguing.

"Your spidey senses are tingling too, right?" Souma sensed his friend's interests and referenced a superhero from the American comics that they both had read back in high school.

"I hate to admit it, but yeah, they are," Tanuma admitted with reluctance. "Argh! Irisu would have my head if she knew I had another chick on my mind."

"Who, Fujioka-san?" Souma looked surprised. "She was our kohai in the journalist club. Are you two still dating?"

"We live together, knucklehead. She attends university here in the city. You would know these things if you crawled outta your hole sometimes, Mr. Incognito."

Souma ignored that, instead, he responded, "I'm telling you, Maya's has secrets, and I won't be satisfied until I know what they are. So, you going to help me solve this puzzle?"

With a sigh, Tanuma nodded, picked up his knapsack with the bento inside, and moved toward the door. "Don't forget that old saying, Hiroomi, 'curiosity killed the cat,'" the tall laborer said, as he walked out the door.

"Yeah, but that's why they have nine lives," Souma mumbled to himself before picking up the phone and dialing Jun Satou's number.

"Oi, Satou-kun," he greeted his superior. "Are you going in early today? Great! Can I catch a ride with you?"

 _XXXXX_

Wagnaria's northern restaurant was just as busy as its southern counterpart. The day shift waitresses trekked from the dining floor to the kitchen and back again, as customers arrived in droves, and most were in large groups.

"What's going on today?" one of the dayshift waitresses asked.

"I know," another responded, "It's crazy busy this afternoon."

"I'm not talking about that," the first waitress nudged the other. "I'm talking about Kondou-sempai. Look!"

Both women turned the blonde waitress balancing two trays on each arm, weaving through tables and other staff like a pro.

"Oh my!" the second waitress gasped. "Is that really Kondou-sempai working?"

"Looks like our cloud chasing sempai's got some skills," the first waitress chuckled. "It's too bad Miyakoshi-san's not around to see this."

"Looks like table three could use refills and the coffee filters low," a voice said from somewhere behind the two women.

Both froze, before turning to the owner of the voice and grinned sheepishly. "Hai, Buchou! they squealed in unison, bowed and scrambled in different directions.

Kenichirou Sakaki, Wagnaria north's, head manager watched with listless eyes as his staff returned to their duties before his eyes sought out the woman the two were discussing.

Sakaki and Kisaki Kondou had been working together for a little more than four years. She had left for a year, in which Sasaki later discovered that she had had a child before returning. Kisaki was lazy, condescending, a smartass, yet highly intelligent and on top of that, surprisingly, a great mother. The woman spent more time in the breakroom than doing her job as a waitress, but she was a godsend to Sakaki when it came to inventory, budgeting, accounting, or anything dealing with finances. Kisaki was a wiz with numbers, and he often wondered at her lack of motivation. With her mind, she could do much more than waiting tables, although those skills were also phenomenal when she chose to use them.

Sakaki waited, as Kisaki served the last group of patrons and then raised a hand and waved her over. As she approached, he turned and entered his office and then closed the door behind her the moment she crossed the threshold.

"Oops! What's this? A closed-door conference, Sakaki Bichou?" Kisaki asked wide-eyed as she stood in front of him. "Is this finally the day you've had enough of my slacking and plan to fire me?"

"Originally that was the plan, but seeing you out there working so diligently today, I didn't have the heart," he teased and smiled to make sure she knew he was joking. "I just wanted to ask if you have heard from Matsumoto-chan."

"Oh yeah, she texts me earlier. Her boss received the paperwork, and Maya sent her thanks once again."

"Good, good," Sakaki murmured, nodded his head and then crossed his arms over his chest. "Kisaki, how long have you known Maya?"

"We met when she was pregnant with Shiori," Kisaki informed him and started to wonder where this conversation was going.

"So, that's what..." Sakaki held up his fingers and began counting.

"Four years," the blond supplied because he was taking too long adding single digits and then snapped. "So what about it? I can only assume there's a point you're trying to make."

With a sigh, Sasaki sat at the edge of his desk and then indicated the chair in front of it; a silent request for Kisaki to take a seat. After hesitating for a moment, the blond looked puzzled before sitting down.

Leaning over his desk, Sakaki opened the top drawer and removed a cell phone. He flipped it open, punched a few numbers and then and then placed it directly in front of Kisaki's face. He watched her lean forward, reading the text received by him and anyone with connections to a gang.

A minute later, Kisaki leaned back in her chair and looked up at Sakaki.

"What does this mean?" she asked. If the information rattled her, Kisaki gave no sign of it.

"Unfortunately, it means that this Souma guy is the least of Maya's worries. The description is vague, but on a hunch, I'm pretty sure it's our girl they're talking about here," Sasaki said, as he closed the phone with a snap.

Kisaki crossed her legs, and then her arms over her chest. Why would thugs be looking for Maya? None of this made sense, she decided as she looked up at Sasaki.

"I don't know," he responded as if reading her mind. "But I'm going to do some digging," he told her.

"What? No!" Kisaki stood up so fast she knocked the chair back, and it crashed to the floor. "You no longer associate with those types of people; you left them a long time ago!"

"That doesn't happen in real life, I'm afraid," the manager dared to laugh. "Besides, we're not all bad people; we're like a family of delinquents. Over time we all go our separate ways, but we're always there for each other."

"Why do you keep grouping yourself with them," Kisaki hissed and had an odd impulse to stomp her foot in frustration.

"Because that's who I am," Sasaki stated, as he stood also. "I now have a decent job, wear a tie, but my past won't ever go away," he said and then gave thought to why his staff member/friend was reacting this way. "Are you, by chance, concerned about me, Kisaki-san?"

"Why the hell would I be worried about you!" the woman snapped. "I'm worried about losing a manager who lets me take five-hour breaks on an eight-hour shift; one who watches my kid when I go out with my friends, not only that I... I think I'm getting used to the cats," she petered out on a sigh.

Sasaki was dumbfounded; what was going on here? He was missing something, of that he was sure, but what?

"I'll be okay, Kisaki," Sasaki spoke softly, as he approached her. He looked down on her bent head and raised his hand to stroke her blond curls. "I'll contact a few members by phone first to see what I can find out, okay."

"Okay," Kisaki's voice was barely above a whisper. "It's important to know who else besides Hiroomi Souma is after Maya."

"Right," Sasaki said, feeling Kisaki was back to her usual self. "It's just a hunch, but I think Maya may have some connections to delinquents as well."

"No way!" Kisaki refused to believe that. "Maya's a nice girl; she's caring, and she's smart. What connections would she have?"

"I'm a nice guy," Sasaki said and watched Kisaki nod the affirmative. "I'm caring," he continued to probe and received another positive. "I'm..."

"Don't go there," Kisaki said, and her eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Okay, I get where you're going with this, but I just can't imagine Maya..." she left the rest unsaid.

"Don't be surprised," Sasaki taunted. "You never know."

"Oh, I'm willing to put money on it," Kisaki snapped back. "I'll bet you a case of Nisshin moist cat food that this is a mistake, that you're confusing Maya with someone else."

"You're on," Sasaki grinned. "And if by some slim chance you happen to win, I've got the cash on hand."

"Some victories are not about money," Kisaki said slyly.

"Coming from you, that's a first," Sasaki chortled.

"Don't you worry, when I win, I'll decide then what I want for a prize."

 _XXXXX_

Souma entered the restaurant behind Satou, and his blue eyes immediately flew toward the dining area; no Matsumoto. Heading to the men's changing rooms, he continued searching; she wasn't near the register, the pantry nor the beverage area, and the assistant chef started to panic. While changing into his uniform, Souma wondered if Maya was unable to obtain the assessment needed and decided to call it quits. If that was indeed the case, then it proved a clear win for Souma, and yet it bothered the assistant chef that she would bow out without putting up a fight.

"Damn!" Souma hissed aloud.

"You okay over there?" Satou asked from the lockers on the opposite side.

"Hai, hai," Souma sighed, "Just stubbed a toe," he lied and the excitement he'd been feeling all morning ebbed away slowly.

Had he pushed her too far, Souma wondered? After their confrontation the other day, he never imagined Maya would bolt. Although he had threatened to expose her once he knew what to disclose, she still had gone toe-to-toe with him; Maya had refused to be intimidated.

"I'm headed out," Satou announced. Souma muttered a response and heard the locker slam shut, the head chef's footsteps leaving and then the open and close of the changing room door.

Souma sat there for a minute, his thoughts in turmoil. He had won, but it wasn't a sweet victory. He was no closer to putting together the missing pieces of Maya Matsumoto's puzzle. With a resigned sigh, he stood up, tightened his apron and moved toward the door. He swung it open, stepped into the hall and came face to face with the object of his thoughts.

"Konnichiwa, Souma-san!" Maya smirk knowingly.

He stopped, staring stupidly and blinked a few times to confirm she was really standing before him.

"Well say something," Maya taunted. "Oh, come on, a simple hello will suffice." Her brown eyes behind red-rimmed glasses gleamed triumphantly. "You seem so surprised to see me; I wonder why."

After the initial shock had worn off, Souma felt a resurge of the excitement that had dimmed earlier. He felt revitalized just seeing her and knowing that Maya planned to take their battle to the end.

"Maya, Maya, Maya," Souma shook his head with each pronunciation of her name. "I actually believed you tucked tail and ran," he told her, and his blue eyes gleamed, as his smile reappeared.

"Hah! In your dreams, buddy!" Maya scoffed while keeping her voice low. "And that's Matsumoto to you!" she snapped.

Souma loved the fire in her eyes, as well as the way they shot daggers at him. He enjoyed hearing the various intonations in her voice, and the changes in her dialect. She could go from professional to prissy to hooligan in zero to six seconds and not miss a beat, that was the many facets of Maya Matsumoto.

"Don't spaz out on me, Souma-san," Maya snapped her fingers in front of his face to pull him out of his daze. "I'm about to deliver my victory speech."

"That's a little premature, don't you think?" Souma grinned, his bravado returning. "You've only managed to win this small skirmish, Matsumoto-san," he emphasized her name. "We haven't even reached the heart of the battle yet, but when we do..."

"The end result will be the same," Maya smiled and finished the tautology phrase, claiming herself the overall victor. The woman tossed her head and turned toward the women's changing rooms, and threw a final parting shot over her shoulder. "Have a productive day, Souma-san!"

"Arigatou na, Matsumoto-san, I will now!"

Til next chapter...


End file.
